, > 



■.^M:Pk 



1. BOYLSTON HA^L, 




GIass___ ^ 

Book 



m&L 



Every Man His Own Farrier, 

COMMON=SENSE INSTRUCTIONS FOR 

SHOEING HORSES 



/ 



BALANCING TROTTER, PACER, RUNNER 

Without aid of Mechanical appliances. 



¥* % . 







BOYLSTON HALL, 
Expert Farrier, 

«frO? . — BTATTn F , TTT7 ^ T1>Tr ^ PTTTninn — iiss± ^ 

^ *7^ SPIRIT OF THE TIMES, NEW YORK ClTY. 



Contributor to 



Kentucky Stock Farm, Lexington. 

American Horse Breeder, Boston. 

The Western Horseman, Indianapolis. 

Weekly Horse World, Buffalo. 

The Livery Stable, New York City. 

Rural World, St. Louis. 

Breeder and Sportsman, San Francisco. 



Copyright 1895. 



SF3o7 

M 



N. B.— Any special cases of peculiar action, irreg= 
ular, fatiguing and interfering with proper and 
rhythmical motion, that may seem to be too com= 
plicated to be corrected by instructions contained 
in the following pages, can have the attention of 
the author either by mail— form of information re- 
quired in such cases is printed on pages 66 and 67 
—or personally at regularly stipulated prices to be 
made known upon application at his office or by 
correspondence. He will visit any point in the 
country on satisfactory terms. 



Steel-Glad f\luminum Horseshoe 



FOR TRACK AND ROAD USE. 









& 



tP'y^j 



f^--, 



fltfiiSI 



tCh' 



& 



& 



§v 



This shoe^g||^ 
is made with or with- 
out bars for track use. 
The reason for putting the 
bar in this shoe is to give it 
trength and prevent spreading 
i they are made very thin and light. 
They wear longer and give much 
better satisfaction than any other, shoe 
where a horse requires light weight. 
My road shoe is made steel-clad and bound 
with steel to prevent roughing up. It has 
been tested in every way that a shoe could 
be tested and its durability is found to be 
double that of a steel shoe twice its 
weight. These shoes do not require to 
be heated, and in fact, they must 
not be heated, but any alteration 
in the shape of the shoe is 
readily done cold. They are 
perfectly level being made in 
steel dies under 2000 tons 
pressure. 
Send for illustrated cata- 
logue and price list to 






ii 



g%5 



m- 



mi 



izzm 



m 



'*-:**% 



klV 



0. 



m 



mm 



2tfc'<r35 



C. C. JEROME, 



35-37 S. Canal St. 



CHICAGO. 



(Mention this Book.) 

1 



ST. LOUIS EXHIBITION OF ART, NEW ZEALAND INT. EXHIBITION. 
AMERICA. AUSTRALIA. 

FIRST PREMIUMS >NO OIPLOMtS. GOLD MEDAL AND OIPLOMA. FIRST 

9TB ORDEROrMERIT 

ESTABLISHED 1872. 

Zero Marx Sign Works 

INCORPORATED 

Signs of Every Description. 

O-ncE and Factory: 

160-162 E. Superior Street* 

Telephone I 03 I North. (JHICASO. 

Zero /v\fvp?x 

MIRROR " SHOCK GO. 

WE MANUFACTURE 

Mirrors and Shocks, 

Mirror Signs, Mirror Novelties, Etc. 
. Re-Silvering Old Mirrors. 



Office and Factory : 

160=162 E. Superior Street, 
CHICHGO. 

(Mention this Boot) 



CONTENTS 



ActioD. About Irregular 19 

Articulation ' ' ' 24 

Bonner. Robert. What He Savs 

Breeders and Owners . 9 

Bars. The 

Bedding. Proper, for Feet '....'.'..'..'..'.'...'.. 21 

Balancing Trotter and Pacer 

Calkins. How to Proportion 

Clips Rarely Necessary.. . 17 

Corns 

Corns. Explanation of 

Contraction 2*3 

e Cross Firing 

Exercise. Walking 

Enquiries. Special, for Shoeing ".'.'..'."..'.'.'.".' 

Farriery.. 

Foals. Feet of " ......... 9 

Frog. About the 

" the, Again ... 

Floor. Level ■ 

Feet. Particular Care "." 20 

Foot, The. Needs no Protection 

■■ Cutsl. 8.3,4 

•• A Perfect 29 

" Proper Dimensions 

" Cut 5, Outward Growing .31 

•• 6, Ankle Affected 32 

" T. Producing Curbs. Spavins, etc 33 

•• S and 18. Knuckling, etc 34 

•• i*. 9- 2 . 10. Knee Bangins: 36, 

" 11.12, Toe In ." " - 

•• 13. Too Wide 3S,39 

•• 14. Contracted 

'• 15, Jay-Eye-See and Direct 

" 1^.17. Knee Sprung 43-45 

' 20, 22, Knuckling, etc 

- . . Elbow Hitting 

' 24. Contracted Hind 

" Hind Ones Interfering 

Growth of 57 

"• Balancing with Rasp, not Shoe 

Horses. Abusing, at the Shop 15 

Hopples or Hobbles. . 

Horses. Draught 

•"Hitching" -~ 

Instructions. General, and Comments 

Introduction 7 

Knife. Farrier's ' ............ " '• 

Nails. Proper Manner of Driving 

Protection, Nature's 

Quarter Cracks 

Reader. To The 

Runner, .>» 

Shoes. Remove Every Three Weeks I 

Rea-ular. Forms of 15 

- Cats 27. 28, 32.33 ..44*54,55 

" - 25,26,30,31 

" Hind Ones. Wear Irregularlv 

Mnith. Let The. Live 

Sole. The ".".. 

Stringhalt 

Tendons and Ligaments of Fore Leg 

Toeing Out and In 

Upper Jaw Bit 

Weights. Toe and Side 

3 



2" Whll « House 
WarCh 3rd. I9I3 



" Truth crashed to earth shall rise again,- 
Tlie eternal years of God are hers; 

But Error, wounded, writhes icith pain, 
And dies among his icor shipper s." 



TO 

MY BEST FRIEND, 

THIS BOOK 

IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED 

BY 

THE AUTHOR. 



A HORSE BLANKET 

Is just as essential as a horse shoe. Much depends on 
the blanket. Buy a 

Burlington "swoon" 

STABLE BLANKET. 










#* 



Patented Mar. 10, 1891. 

Your Horse is always clean, it keeps the Hair smooth 
and glossy. No surcingle required. No tight girth. No 
sore backs. No chafing of mane. No rubbing of tail. 
No horse can wear them under his feet. 

JVo Come-off to them. 

WE CONFINE OUR SALES TO JOBBERS ONLY. 

IF YOUR DEALERS DO XOT KEEP THEM, 

we will, in order to convince you of the superi- 
ority -of the Burlington " STAY -ON" over all 
imitations and* old style blankets, send only one blanket 
to any address, express paid on receipt of price. 
Write lor Catalogue and Prices. 



BURLINGTON BLANKET CO 



BURLINGTON, WIS, 

(Mention this Book.) 

G 



INTRODUCTION. 

Having been importuned by many friends and for 
many years to publish a book on Farriery and Horse- 
shoeing, I have finally concluded to do so. Recognizing 
full well that it costs time and money to properly pre- 
pare such a work, for there are so many kinds of feet of 
horses, dissimilar often only in so slight a degree, that 
my fear has been it would require too large a volume 
to contain the necessary information and directions 
so plainly expressed, and written— "that he who runs 
may read"— so as to be easily and readily understood by 
all who would require such information. It shall be 
the aim of this book of instruction to avoid, as nearly 
as possible, technical and high sounding words or 
phrases, and to keep down to commonplace horse- 
shoer's talk, with proper regard to giving plainly and 
fully all necessary directions to govern in the prepa- 
ration and shoeing of any and all of the many differ- 
ent sorts of feet that may occur to the writer; 
endeavoring not to let slip any of the many peculiar 
ones that have come under his eye in his long and 
varied experience. 

Farriery. 

Webster's definition of a Farrier is a "Shoerof a 
horse." As practiced in his day his duties were, 
apparently, only the paring of the foot and the nailing 
on of the iron shoe. But now it carries with it a 
broader meaning, it has become an Art ; the under- 
standing of the motor power of the horse, directing 
the preparation of the foot and so adjusting its angle 
to the limb it supports as to conform strictly to 
Nature's Laws of Propulsion, form the most import- 
ant duties of the Farrier; next in importance are the 
directions given the smith as to the fitting of the 
shoe to the foot after it has been made ready to 
receive it. Thus it will be seen that the art of Far- 
riery is not merely paring the foot and making and 

7 



nailing on the shoe. It is therefore important, in 
fact necessary, that every Owner and Breeder should 
fully understand Farriery, and this work is published 
for the sole purpose of imparting such information; 
hence the title, "Every Man His Own Farrier." 

By far the most important matters in connection 
with the proper preparation and shoeing of the feet, as 
explained in these pages, will be such as apply more 
particularly to light harness and carriage horses. Quite 
a deal of attention will be given to the "Balancing of 
the Trotter, Pacer and Runner" for speed pur- 
poses. The extra attention is not given to the 
class of horses mentioned to the detriment of the 
comfort of those that "work for a living" as it 
were, for they will receive proper consideration 
herein, but because the more rapid action of 
the former make them more amenable to the 
many forms of lamenesses that afflict too large a per- 
centage of our horses — afflictions almost invariably 
traceable to their unbalanced and improperly shod 
feet. One point it seems important to make emphasis 
of right here is: Never undertake to obtain what is 
called a "seating" for the shoe on the foot, by applying 
it hot. The shoe should never be applied to the foot of the 
animal when too hot for the smith to hold in his hand. 

Something that Mr. Robert Bonner Says. 

In a paper read at the dinner of the New York 
Farmers recently by Mr. Robert Bonner, that gentle- 
man says: "I have been often asked why is it 
trainers and blacksmiths know so little about shoe- 
ing? * * Because they know nothing, generally 
speaking, of the anatomy of the foot and have no dis- 
position to give the requisite time to acquiring a 
knowledge of it. Besides they are too old to learn. 
It is to the rising generation that we must look for 
improvement in .this line. In my experience I have 
found that while old trainers and blacksmiths may 
appreciate two or three new points about the horse's 
foot, you will make them, with a very few exceptions, 
angry with you and disgusted with themselves by 
giving them too many valuable points— points which 



they can neither comprehend nor 'digest.' The 
result of this will be that they will feel like abandon- 
ing the study of the whole subject as being too 
intricate and complicated." 

The sole object of this work is to instruct the pres- 
ent, as also the " rising generation," in plain language 
—avoiding as far as possible the use of all "hard 
words"— how comparatively easy it is to acquire a 
thorough knowledge of the anatomy of the foot and 
how to shoe it, to fit the horse to perform with com- 
fort, all the duties his master, man, requires of him. 
Not to antagonize the trainers and blacksmiths but 
to give them some points of information that may be, 
some of them at least, new to them. This book is a 
pocket manual and can be readily referred to to assist 
them, possibly, upon some points on which they may 
be in doubt. 

Breeders and Owners. 

Every breeder and owner of horses should under- 
stand farriery and horseshoeing. It will be found of 
great benefit to their stock, and of consequent pecun- 
iary advantage to themselves to possess sufficient 
knowledge on these points to be enabled to put such 
into practical use, with the resultant advantages 
promised from careful practice of the many beneficial 
points to be learned, and which the author of this 
work, from his many years of study and practice, feels 
confident he can give plainly and fully and will en- 
deavor to do so and in language easily understood. 

Feet of Foals. 

The class to whom this article is addressed will 
best conserve their interests as "breeders and 
owners," by giving quite a considerable portion of 
their time and attention to that most important 
matter, the keeping of the feet of their foals carefully 
looked after while they are still sucklings. When 
they shall have become say about four to five weeks 
old, yes, even younger than that, if any irregularity of 
growth shall have been discovered, the farrier (horse- 
shoer) should be called to the farm and the youngsters' 
feet should all be looked over and the rasp brought 

9 



into use to true and balance them if requisite; at 
this stage of growth nothing but the rasp will be 
needed, the knife not being necessary. If this im- 
portant part of the duties of the careful breeder 
are judiciously attended to, then, when the foals are 
ready to go into the hands of the smith to be regularly 
shod, he will have but little to do except smooth off 
their feet and adjust the shoes. 



Shoes Removed Every Three Weeks. 

Now, then, comes up another and fully as import- 
ant a point in the matter of keeping the feet of the 
colts, and' maturer animals, trued, balanced, in 
proper proportion and in proper angle to the limbs 
they support, so that the articulation shall be as near 
smooth and frictionless as possible, and that is, never 
aliovyghe/ shoes to remain on the feet longer than 
tfo/£weeks, when they should be removed, reset, or 
new ones put on, as the case may require. The im- 
portance of this is obvious._/The feet in a healthy 
state of growth, grow abou / ?3w2&-eighths (^")<oJan 
inch each month and they grow irregularly, theremre^^^ 
to keep the animal "plumb on his pins, 7 ' advantage / 
must be taken of the irregularities of growth by 
observing the rule pointed out, as to duration of time 
the shoes should remain on the feet, without removal. 



TO THE READER. 

After reading over the pages of this work care= 

fully, examining the illustrations, etc., please 

acknowledge receipt and write on postal card, sent 

under cover with book, your opinion of it, and 

oblige, 

Very respectfully, 

THE AUTHOR. 

10 




GliiGaoo 

Horse. 

Harness 

AND . . . 

GarriaQe 
ExGlianoe 



1629 to 1637 Wabash Ave., CHICAGO, ILL. 

Incorporated, Capital Stock $100,000.00, Full Paid. 
OFFICERS. 
ALEX'R MacKAY, President. 

Dr. D. A. K. STEELE, Vice-President. 

JAS. D. LYNCH, Secretary and Treasurer 



Reference, National Bank of the Republic, Chicago. 

This company has unequaled facilities for 
the sale of High Class Horses. Its location in 
the business center enables purchasers to step 
in at any time on their way to and from business, 
to examine the animals offered for sale and they 
have the option of buying at auction or privately. 

Breeders and dealers are invited to ship 
their stock to this Exchange where they will 
find the best stabling accommodations and 
largest show-ring ever constructed for the sale 
of horses. Public auctions Tuesday and Satur- 
day of each week. Honest dealing guaranteed. 
A cordial invitation is extended to sellers and 
buyers to make this Exchange their head- 
quarters. All business strictly on commission. 
Correspondence solicited. 

(Mention this Book.) 
11 



RHEUMATIC GOUT 

POSITIVELY CURED 

By DR. BENJAMIN BROWN'S 

Gout and Rheumatic Remedy, 

Which has a phenomenal record in completely master- 
ing the disease and Stopping the Fain surely in 
from two to six hours, never failing to cure. We have 
letters endorsing our preparation from such people 
of national reputation as Root. G. Ingersoll, Leander 
J. McCormick, Gen. Thos. O. Osborn, Col. A. C. Bab- 
cock, Frank Parmelee, Mrs. E. H. Hippie, Mrs. H. St. 
John, and scores of others. Send for circulars. Can 
be had only at the laboratory of 

Dr. Benjamin Brown Manufacturing Co., 

2123 Michigan Ave. CHICAGO, ILL. 

WEAK MEIN 

Dr, Brown's 

VEGETABLE COMPOUND 

IS A POSITIVE CURE 

For all Nervous Diseases and Sexual Exhaustion. 

This state of exhaustion, called Impotency, Lost 
Manhood and Loss of Power. 

Dr. Brown's Vegetable Compound completely 
masters this disease in an easy, safe, reliable and 
agreeable manner, as hundreds now living will testify 
to its efficacy. A trial of a single package will con- 
vince the'ihost skeptical. 

Price, $1.00 per package ; six for $5.00, by mail, pre- 
paid, in plain sealed packages. Address all orders 

Dr. Brown's Vegetable Compound Co,, 

2123 Michigan Ave. CHICAGO, ILL. 

(Menfion this Book.) 
12 



TENDONS AND LIGAMENTS OF THE FORE LEG. 



S— Splint 

bone. 



M— Great 
metacarpal 
or cannon 
bone. 



E— Extensor 
tendon 




Flexor perfor- 
atns. 

Flexor perfor- 
ans. 

Metacarpal 
ligament. 

Superior sesa- 
moideal liga- 
ment. 



Superior sesa- 

moideal liga- 

8 incut. 
Plexor perfor- 
ans. 



Flexor perfor- 
atus. 



Bifurcation of 
the sesa- 
moideal liga- 
ment. 



Continuation 
forward of 
branch of 
the sesa- 
moid eal liga- 
ment. 



Continuation 
of the flexor 
perforans in- 
serted into 
the lower 
side of the 
coffin or 
pedal bone. 



J. L. DAY, 
JDpapep and Tailop 



T 



AUDITORIUM ANNEX, 
222 MICHIGAN AVENUE, CHICAGO, ILL 

HE author takes pleasure in inserting the 
advertisement of his friend 



JOE DAY 



and as " JOE " has left it to him to say 
what he chooses, he is pleased to say : 



JOE 



keeps abreast of the times, is broad- 
gauged, "up to date," and is always the 
first to have in stock the latest nov- 
elties of cut and pattern. The only 
trouble with his clothes is, they won't 
wear out, inside or outside, for the linings 
and trimmings correspond in texture and 
durability with the stuff the garments are 
cut 'from. 

When you come to this great city, call 
and see " Joe " and tell him you read what 
his friend Hall said. 

14- 



General Instructions and Comments. 
One of the first essentials for the smith— the horse- 
shoer— to enable him to practice, with the desired 
success, on the points laid down in these instructions, 
is a fairly smooth level floor to his shop. If he has not 
such, and cares not to go to the expense of laying one, 
he can have a platform made, say about 10 feet by 5 
feet, that he can use as he wishes, and place at one 
side when not required for use. This certainly would 
not put him to great expense. Have such a platform 
made of fairly clear stuff, that is, free from knots, so 
that it will wear and keep comparatively smooth. 

Abusing' Horses at the Shop. 

Patience is a virtue and an essential for a horse- 
shoer. Kemember it is a dumb animal that is being 
dealt with : he cannot talk and inform the smith that 
it hurts him to stand on one foot while he is prepar- 
ing the other and opposite one to be shod. The 
crowding on the nerves at the base affects the whole 
nerve system to its entire centre and the poor animal 
is in the same nervous condition that human beings 
often are. Therefore, be patient in the work of shoe- 
ing their feet and under no circumstances ever strike a 
horse in the shoeing shop and particularly never about the 
head. Firmness, but kindness, will accomplish more 
than harsh treatment. The natural disposition of the 
horse is to do what is right and in nearly all cases 
where they do not behave well, it arises from having 
been abused, or from not having been taught to 
understand what is wanted of them. It may at times 
be necessary to use a "twitch " on the nose of restive 
colts and nervous horses, but don't abuse the use of it 
and don't abuse them in any way. 

Regular Form for Shoes. 

When the feet are fairly sound, true and level, need- 
ing no peculiar style of shoes, always shoe them with a 
plain shoe of even thickness from heel to heel, the hind 
feet as well as the fore ones, except in "sharpening." 

One of the errors of horseshoe making, in nearly all 
machine as also most of the hand-made ones, is that 

15 



of turning them thicker at the heels than in the front 
of the shoe. This is wrong; the front part of the 
shoe wears away the fastest, therefore, as the foot is 
supposed to be level when the shoe is adjusted, this 
irregular wear is gradually throwing it out of level. 
By having the shoe of even thickness when first placed 
on the foot, this irregular wear is not productive of 
much evil, as far as the shoe itself is responsible. 

Calkins, How to Proportion. 

Calkins are rarely needed for the shoes of our light 
harness and carriage horses, for either foot — that is, 
not even for the hind ones— except for the snow path 
in winter. When calkins are used on the shoes they 
should be placed as follows: The toe calkins, all of 
them, back across the inside of the web of the shoe, 
and they should not be made too long, from side to 
side, never over one and one-half inches in length. 
They should not be made too deep (say about one-half 
of an inch for the toe calkins and three-eighths [%"] of 
an inch for those at the heels) ; the toe calkins 
should always be made deeper in proportion than 
those for the heels, say as about four (4) parts of depth 
at the toe to three (3) parts at the heels; that is, the 
depth of the shoes, calkius included, must be, at 
the heels, about three-fourths of that of the front. 
This will assist in equalizing the wear and prove a 
strong feature in the tendency to keep the ground lay 
of the feet level. 

Proper Manner of Nail Driving'. 

As a general rule to be observed in nailing the shoes 
to the feet the nails should never be driven too far 
back — except in some case or cases that will be men- 
tioned in this volume— they should never be driven 
into the wall of the foot back of a point just a shade 
in front of the line of the wings of the coffin or pedal 
bone. Nails* driven back of this point will bind the 
foot together at the only point where Nature has ar- 
ranged to give it a spring, or easement, to the blow on 
the ground. These are general ideas of nail driving 
to govern in the ordinary routine of horshoeing; special 
cases will be treated by themselves. 
i# 



Iii making the nail holes in the shoe, it is better 
for many reasons, to punch each hole by itself and 
properly countersink on the ground surface to obtain 
a firm seating for the heads. When the shoe is 
creased for the holes, the nails have more play are 
more apt, therefore, to break and the shoe is 'also 
weakened. This manner of construction will be 
found to be the rule on any and all the shoes shown 
in this work and it is, unquestionably, the more cor- 
rect way. 

The wall of the hind different from that of the 
fore foot is the thickest and strongest at the back 
part, nails can, therefore— when necessary to retain a 
firmer hold for the shoe and to prevent a not infre- 
quent accident, that of their spreading at the heels- 
be driven further back towards the heels without 
seriously interfering with the natural expansion of 
the foot. 

Clips Rarely Necessary. 

Clips on shoes should rarely or never be used. Shoes 
can scarcely befitted properly with clips on them; they 
are a device fit only for the careless and hurried smitli 
who uses them rather than take a little more time and 
properly fit the shoes to the feet. There are feet that 
require the use of clips on the shoes and on such they 
must be t<McZ,aswffl be explained under the proper 
heading, m describing the class of feet to which thev 
are necessary. 

The Sole. 

The sole should not be removed from the foot 
-for it sheds at proper time -only so much of it as is 
immediately under the shoe, to avoid its pressing on it. 

About the Frog. 

The frog may be left untouched, except that it shall 
show any evidence of thrush, when it should be care- 
fully cleaned out at the crevice and at the sides thus 
removing all diseased parts so that any remedies it 
may be thought proper to apply shall have oppor- 
tunity to act. Also the ragged edges of any diseased 
frog should be cleaned off so as not to afford a lod ff - 

17 B 



ment for deleterious substances. The frog is a 
cushion placed under the navicular bone and joint of 
that name to ease the action at that point as also that 
of the flexor tendon that passes under the navicular 
and fastens on to the coffin or pedal bone. Its 
India-rubber-like consistency, which is its condition 
when in health, fully justifies this definition of its 
use, and experience has shown that to be its office; 
it exerts no influence by itself whatever in expanding or 
contracting the foot. 

The Bars. 

The same may be said of the bars: they do not in 
any way prevent contraction or prevent expansion. 
They are placed there as a strength-giving support 
to the ''horny box,'" the foot, the same as are the walls 
that they assimilate so nearly to in texture. They 
should not therefore be removed only to such an 
extent that they do not protrude below the surface 
lay of the wall and need not necessarily have any 
bearing on the shoe. In fact, in the case of contracted 
feet care should be taken that they do not bear on 
the shoe, as they would thus force the commissures 
up into the sensitive foot, hurting the animal as 
would the nails of a man's boot heels forced through 
the inner sole and pushing up against his foot heel. 

The Frog Again. 

Now having defined the duties of the frog, it must 
be seen that it must always be free to "give and 
take'* as it were: it must never, therefore, under any cir- 
cumstances be confined by a bar across the heels of 
the shoe, by using what is commonly called one of 
the mo'st pernicious inventions, a ''bar shoe."- Neither 
must it have a concussive blow. For two reasons this 
last is wrong: ' 

First. To properly perform the duties laid down 
for and required of it, it should not be subjected to 
any jarring blow that can be avoided by properly pre- 
paring the foot so that its surface shall not be too 
close to the ground. 



Second. It is rarely that a foot will be found where 
the heels can be pared down to so slight a depth as to 
afford the so-called "frog pressure," (most absurd 
nonsense) that they will not be so low as to throw the 
articulation all out of gear and cause serious trouble 
to it; as also more or less injury to the tendons and 
muscles. 

Irregular Action. 

All irregular action of the limbs and feet must be 
attributed, almost invariably, to a want of balance in 
the foot or feet. Therefore, to correct faulty action 
look carefully at the base to ascertain what causes the 
trouble. Never undertake to correct such evils by 
more weight of iron on one side of the foot than on 
the other, or by more thickness of iron, except in the 
rarest of cases— and such necessity will be shown in 
these pages— at one point of the shoe than at another. 
All such artificial attempts at correcting faulty 
articulation will result in dire injury to the motor 
power of the animal and must be strenuously avoided 
under any and all circumstances. Examine carefully, 
at all times, as directed, the base of the machinery, 
for the motor power of the horse is live machinei-y. and 
must be treated on the same plane of scientific me- 
chanics as any other machinery. 

Level Floor. 

Now, with reference to the use of the smooth level 
floor. This is required so that the horse shall be able 
to stand as plumb as it is possible for him to do so, 
having nothing in the way of an uneven floor to make 
him stand otherwise. This is necessary; for in order 
to true and balance his feet, the eye of the smith must 
be cast up and down the front line of each leg to ascer- 
tain if the line of the centre of the leg would meet a 
line drawn through the centre of the foot from front 
to back of such foot, for no man living can true and 
balance the foot of a horse by looking at and around 
the surface, while the foot is held back of the leg and 
inihand. When the foot shall look to be true and 
balanced from viewing the leg and foot from the front, 
then stand at the side of the animal, or rather a little 

19 



way off, and judge if the bearing of the limb shall 
look to be in a comfortable position in the foot from 
that standpoint of observation. If so you have now 
the foot prepared to receive the shoe. 

Directions for fitting the shoes will be found in their 
proper places, as describing the various sorts of 
fitting for the many variety of foot shapes. 

Let the Smith Live. 

Remember, owners, the most important of all things, 
as regards utilizing the best efforts of your horses, is 
to give the most painstaking care to their feet and 
the shoeing of them, therefore let the smith have a 
chance to live. Employ his services as often as they 
shall be needed. Pay him a fair price for the use you 
make of his time and skill and you will be the winner 
"by a large majority." Penuriousness in this respect 
will be found to be expensive economy. 

Particular Care of Feet. 

There is no need of anxiety on the score of colts 
and horses not receiving sufficient food and of good 
quality, but there is cause for much anxiety as to a 
continuous state of health of the motor powers of the 
animals, so they shall be ready and willing, at all 
times, to perform the tasks their master, man, may 
set for them. The much neglected care of their feet 
should receive, by far, the most careful attention, 
too much stress cannot be laid on this all-important duty. 

Nature's Protection. 

Never cover up the foot, or any of it, on its ground 
surface, more-than what space a narrow webbed shoe 
will cover. The foot requires and must have, at all 
times, a free circulation of air all around it. There- 
fore, never use pads, tar, oakum and such things. 
Leave the sole— Nature's protection— in the foot and 
it is a better protection than the ingenuity of man 
has ever yet, or ever will, discover. 

20 



The Foot Needs No " Protection." 

The foot does not need the nailing on to it of a shoe 
for "protection," as in the generally accepted meaning 
of that term. Leave the bars and sole untouched and it 
makes no difference how hard the roads, or how rough. 
Nature has prepared the foot to stand any blow it 
gets on the ground at any rate of speed. All the shoe 
is for, and that is why it should always be narrow- 
webbed, is to protect the wall from breaking and from 
wearing away — at the work man cuts out for the ani- 
mal— faster than Nature can reproduce it. The nar- 
row webbed shoe is the most desirable for obvious 
reasons; in the first place, as explained, it protects all 
of that part of the foot— the wall— that it is at all 
needful to protect, then again the wide webbed shoe 
must necessarily be heavier, consequently the blow 
on the ground is heavier, producing that "stinging 1 ' 
effect so much talked about by trainers and drivers. 
There is a vibrative, concussive blow to the sole of 
the foot from the use of wide webbed shoes that is 
jarring and painful, and that it cannot get from the 
narrow webbed ones, for they do not extend to the 
inner surface of the foot over the sole. No harm 
can happen to the animal's foot, if it is in a healthy 
state of growth and properly balanced, to have it go 
unshod— provided the sharp edge of the wall is round- 
ed off with the rasp to prevent it from breaking when 
coming in contact with the ground — the animal can 
as well perform any rational duties set for him. But 
then, of course, this work is to instruct how to properly 
shoe the foot and it shall be the aim of the author to 
carry out, fully, the requirements. 

Proper Bedding- to Keep Feet Cool. 

In many stables, more particularly in the western 
country here, it is customary to use pine waste, shav- 
ings, sawdust, etc., for bedding. On the score of the 
economy of first cost, this is excusable, but on no 
other, and where it is used as a bedding for the horse 
it should not be allowed to remain in the stall during 
the daytime for him to stand on, as it is creative of 
much fever in the feet. The animal had much better 
21 



stand on the plain floor, and this will not be fatiguing 
to him, if his feet are kept in a healthy state, and it 
will be the endeavor of this work to give necessary 
instructions, looking to that end. Straw is infinitely 
better, but it should be kept fresh and sweet. The 
best of all materials known to the author, and he has 
had considerable experience in its use, is sand, the 
ocean sand, or the sand from our large lakes, and he 
never knew one of his horses to have fever in its feet 
when using it. His horses were "bedded" with it, 
no straw being used in addition, they slept on the 
sand, sometimes with, and sometimes without 
blankets. It was raked over carefully on top to 
remove the manure that had been dropped, and re- 
plenished with fresh every few weeks, about every 
two or three weeks, his memory seems to suggest. 

Walking Exercise. 

This work is not intended to give instruction in 
training and driving, but one thing the author will 
say, as the outcome of experience from carefully and 
thoroughly testing its efficacy, and that is that the best 
exercise to impart strength to the general system, to 
promote growth of muscle, muscle that is supple and 
healthy, and make speed, is walking exercise, fast, 
very fast walking, with a boy weighing say 125 lbs. on 
the back. Not dubbing along but get all of the 
horses that are in training so that they can walk 
faster than 4 miles in one hour (the author had one 
that walked a mile in 10 minutes) and walk them 
overy other day 3 to 4 miles. Every trainer and driver 
should understand farriery and horseshoeing and they 
do not fully understand the art of training and driving 
unless they possess knowledge on these, the most 
important of all the duties belonging to the trade, as 

it may be called. 

. - "Corns." 

There is no such thing as a "Corn" in the foot of 
the horse, but the author will explain certain things 
in connection with this misapplied term, as shall 
enable a proper treatment of the foot said to be 
thus afflicted. The discoloration of the sole, at the 
point at the back part of the foot between the bar 



and wall, is caused by a deposit of extravasated blood, 
bruised blood, commonly speaking. 

The cause of this is an excessive tightness arouud 
the coronet, the blood gets into the foot, but the small 
veins become so congested that it cannot make its 
round of circulation, as it were, and get out again; it 
is therefore the bursting of these small veins that 
causes their contents to trickle down and lodge in the 
lowest point of the foot at the place where the dis- 
coloration makes its appearance. The small veins can 
be, and are, occasionally broken with the same con- 
sequence, discoloration of the sole, by the foot being 
too broad and weak, though such cases are so rare as 
to scarcely need attention, but will be explained 
however. 

Explanation. 

There is no discomfort to the animal at the 
point where this deposit is made apparent, and 
there is, therefore, nothing gained by cutting away 
the sole there, and above all things, never, under any 
circumstances, should any foreign substance be 
injected into the foot after the foolish operation of 
cutting away the sole has been resorted to, as is too 
often done. The author has seen a temporary relief 
given to the animal by cutting a piece out of the wall 
at the point opposite to where appears this discolora- 
tion, so that the wall at that point has no bearing on 
the shoe- But as mentioned, this is only a temporary 
relief- The way to relieve this foot of its tightened 
condition at the coronet is to put it into proper pro- 
portion, which will be explained, so that the bones of 
the foot, that have been crowded up out of their 
proper resting place, can be let down, as it were, into 
the foot, where they properly belong, instead of being 
crowded up into the coronet. The author has seen 
horses that came to the shop lame, from so-called 
corns, go sound before they had gotten a quarter of a 
mile from the shop, by relieving the coronet as sug- 
gested, without doing anything else to the foot, or 
placing upon it anything but a plain shoe. For some 
insight into the manner of treating a foot so afflicted, 
see direction under No. 14. 

23 



Quarter Cracks. 

These are caused also by the tightness at the coro- 
net resulting from the same unnatural position of the 
bones of the feet. The cracking of the wall at the 
quarter is the best thing that could happen, under the 
circumstances. The tightly bound foot opens, so to 
speak, and the animal experiences a relief, and if 
now placed in the hands of an expert farrier, he can 
soon increase his comfort, and do so in a rational way, 
which will not be by using that most pernicious con- 
trivance, the " bar shoe;" a device never to be used. 
The author has removed such shoes from the feet and 
has found the frog, underneath the pernicious bar, 
rotted away with thrush. 

Articulation. 

Care must be taken in getting the articulation 
started correctly, much, if not all, depends on this 
important matter. The first joint of this live 
machinery of the motor power is made by the lower 
pastern or coronary bone, playing in the socket made 
to receive it in the pedal, or coffin bone, and the 
navicular bone that works in connection with these 
two. 

When the foot is true, balanced, in proper propor- 
tion and in proper angle to the limb it supports, it is 
a sure indication that this foundation joint is in a 
perfectly true and scientifically correct mechanical 
position: consequently, barring a rare and infrequent 
accident, all the joints throughout the limb above will 
be found to be just as mechanically correct in their 
action. Per, contra, if this foundation joint is wrong, 
making an uncomfortable articulation, with increased 
friction, such a condition is likely to be made manifest 
at most .any point of articulation through the entire 
limb. Yes, -even to interfering with the action at 
shoulders and- .quarters, affecting also, as it is most 
likely to do, the tendons and muscles as well. 

Toeing Out and In. 

These two faults are cause of more annoyance to 
horseshoers than all other troubles afflicting the fore 
feet, put together. Of course, what causes the one is 

24 "' 



almost directly opposite to that causing the other. 
Writers disagree on this point, and the author knows 
that he will be severely criticised for the statements 
he shall here make in regard to the cause of these 
faulty positions of the feet, but then he is used to 
such criticisms— or more particularly they may be 
called the opinions of faultfinders— so they do not in 
the least disturb him, particularly so, when his con- 
tinued experience on the lines here laid down are 
satisfying in the highest degree. Some people claim 
that the foot points outward — "toes out" — because the 
elbow turns in towards the body, and per contra points 
inward — "toes in" — because the elbow turns outward, 
away from the body. 

The ground taken in this work is that such theories 
are not correct, but that the position of the elbow is 
made to be what it is— relatively to the body— by the 
position of the foot on its surface lay, and that as it 
continues to turn out or in, more, the elbow will be 
affected in its position relatively in consequence. One 
writer, who is considered to be one of some eminence, 
claims that the cause of the foot toeing out, is its being 
too high on the inside heels and the contrary condi- 
tion of the foot compels it to toe in. This work 
assumes a different ground. It claims that the toeing 
out foot will be found to be too high from the point 
of the outside heel, all along the outside of the foot to 
past the immediate point, a direct front, of the foot — 
though sometimes this increased depth may be notice- 
able only up to just short of the point of toe, and 
cease, in other cases, at the outside toe; though often 
the inside of the foot, from about the line of the win g 
of the coffin bone, back to the point of heel, will be 
found to be pushed up so that measured from point 
where wall and flesh join, at the inside heel, down to 
surface of wall, it will be found to be deeper than 
the opposite heel with like measurement. 

The "toeing-in" foot will be found to be caused by 
the inside of such foot being too high, or too deep, rare- 
ly, almost never, will the outside heel seem to be af- 
fected, to correspond, in an opposite direction, to the 
effect just noticed of the inside heel as affecting the 

25 



toeing-out foot. Now, there are no infallible rules 
to govern these two faulty positions, hut in more than 
95 out of 100 cases they will be found to be caused by 
the wrong proportion of the feet here laid down. 
Either of the faulty positions referred to, are cause 
of much annoyance to the animal, for they are pro- 
ductive of increased friction with consequent fatigue, 
therefore, lessened power to perform, at any gait, but 
more particularly emphasized as the rapidity of the 
gait increases; for it must be borne in mind that the 
line of this faulty action is the same at all rates of 
speed and does not change, as seems to be the very erro- 
neous idea, because of the more rapid motion; proving 
the well-known fact that motion may be quicker than 
the eye, even at the rate of the speed-action of the 
feet and limbs of a horse, and particularly so in such 
a case, for the eye is confused by the action of two 
pieces of machinery, as the two fore feet, working in 
the same direction and so closely together. 

In the proper place will be described how to prepare 
and shoe these two kinds of feet, to assist Nature in 
her wise endeavors to correct the faulty growth and 
establish once more true, smooth and comparatively 
frictionless articulation. 

Contraction. 

"Contracted feet," are of course more frequent with 
the fore than with the hind ones. Not necessary to 
go into an exhaustive explanation why this is so; let the 
fact remain and let the endeavor here be to correct 
the evils of contraction. How opposite do the fore 
and hind feet behave? The fore ones contract most 
frequently on the inside, while the hind ones are 
more likely to become contracted on the outside. 



26 



Toe Weights anc i side Weights. 

That irregular-gaited horses have been made to 
go more evenly with their use, it would be foolish to 
deny, for such is unquestionably true, but that injured 
joints, tendons and muscles have been made to pay 
the penalty of employing such agents, is equally true. 

The use of side weights rarely, if ever, are of any 
benefit in changing the line of action of the foot to 
which they are applied, unless some attention has 
been given also to the foot to improve the articulation. 
They are more apt to emphasize the faulty action and 
carry the foot further in its wrongly directed course, 
if the incorrect position of the foot is still allowed to 
maintain, and will surely bring, in such cases, injury 
to the motor power. If the feet are trued, balanced, 
in proper porportion and in proper angle to the limbs 
they support, the applying of weights to them of any 
kind will not be found essential to establish a true, 
rythmical action and the animal's gameness and 
disposition to do his best in fighting out his races will 
be manifest by the absence of such a handicap of 
weight-forcing appliances. Immediate results, some- 
times, when races are on, may be an excuse for the 
use of weights, but as soon afterwards as the 
art of farriery can be brought to bear to assist 
nature in correcting the error of action, the horse 
should be taken in hand and the feet so balanced as 
to make the articulation correct, so that the animal's 
instinct shall suggest to him that the smooth, even 
gait is the most comfortable, and he therefore will 
naturally adhere to it. 

Hopples or Hobbles. 

The author unhesitatingly asserts that the use of 
the above named appliances can be dispensed with if 
the instructions contained in this work are carefully 
complied with, and with greatly increased comfort to 
the animal as also increased speed and gameness to 
fight out his races. He asserts this because he can 
understanding^ do so from the fact that he has trued 
and balanced the feet of a great many that could not 
go even and true without them with the result of increas- 

27 



/ 



y 



/ 



No. 1. 





■ 



No. 2. 



38 



ing the speed and enabling the animal's to go at a 
smooth and rhythmical gait as a consequence. 

A Perfect Foot. 

Numbers 1, 2 and 3 represent different views of the 
same foot. These views represent what might be 
called a foot of proper proportion and in proper angle 
to the limb it supports. If horses' feet can be kept in 
about such proportions and angle, the gait will be 
found to be rhythmical and true, with frictionless 
articulation. Care must be taken to fit the shoes to 
such a foot even with the wall all around and they 
should be made of even thickness from heel to heel 
with no calkins on either the fore or hind shoes, 
except it shall be necessary to sharpen for the snow 
path, when of course calkins must be used and placed 
on the shoes as instructed in the paragraph on the 
subject under the heading ''Calkins, How to Pro- 
portion." When the feet are in such a .degree of 
perfection of balance and proportion, light, narrow 
webbed shoes will be found to be all that are needed 
to keep the gait true and even, and the hind shoes 
should be made of the same bar of steel that the 
front ones are made of, when, if there shall be any 
difference in the size of the feet, as the hind ones 
on the same animal are sometimes found to be a 
trifle smaller than the fore ones, they will each be 
carrying their proper weight. Such difference will 
rarely or ever be found to be greater than about one- 
half to three-fourths of an ounce. 

When the feet are kept in the proportion here shown 
the percentage of lame horses will be reduced to a 
minimum, for they cannot become lame except by 
some very infrequent accident. Their chances of 
getting lame will be in no greater percentage than 
that of the human family. 

Number 4 will give some ideas of proper dimensions 
of feet by measurement. Height or depth of heels all 
around, of all four feet should measure comparatively 
the same. From connection of wall and flesh at 3 
straight down dotted line to level floor should meas- 
ure from about ifi^a^mches for horses 15 hands, up to 

29 



7f/ 



/ft- 2fr 

$4 to ftMHKl.inches for horses 16 hands. That is 
assimulating crose to tt^ese^igures^-X)epth of foot from 
1 to 2 should be aboutMtSESK^ ) of the depth from 
1 back on an imaginary line running directly through 
the foot to 3, and this depth from 1 to 2 should measure 
about 3}£ inches, from connection of wall and flesh 
at number 1 down to surface of wall at number 2 on a 
level floor, for horses 15 hands and up to not over 
3%, to 4 inches for horses 16 hands. Of course these 
measurements are not to form an infallible rule of 
dimensions, but they are to govern for feet in ordi- 
narily good condition of health and growth. No foot 
must be rasped down to these measurements, if in 
doing so there would be clanger of going so low as to 
leave the sole weak. When the sole yields slightly, 
only, from a very hard pressure of both thumbs, then 
the foot surface is pared, low enough. If the proper 
depth of foot can be obtained before reaching to the 
point where the sole will yield to pressure as ex- 
plained, all well and good, don't pare down any 
further. Never pare down to a point that the sole is 
not strong enough and thick enough to properly pro- 
tect the foot, for that is what it is placed there for 
and only so much of it should be removed as is neces- 
sary to get the foot at proper depth and so it (the sole) 
will not bear direct on the shoe. 

In a very short space of time the eyes and mind of 
the owner, the smith, the trainer, etc., will become so 
educated as to see at a glance what is the proper pro- 
portion, angle, etc, as here described, so that no 
measurements will need to be made. 




No. 5. 

Number 5. This is one of the first feet to call 
for an explanation in shoeing, and it is a style 
of foot often seen and quite puzzling to the 
smith. The cut represents the bottom of a nigh 
foot. The tendency of this foot is to grow 
faster on the outside than on the inside and to 
grow outward and away from the leg, so that it does 
not properly support the limb. The rasp should be 
used on the outside surface, for a foot that acquires 
this tendency of growth will be found, almost invaria- 
bly, to be deeper on the outside than on the inside. 
But do not lower the outside unless it is the deepest. 
Also rasp off a little of the wall along the outside 
quarter and towards the toe; do this each time the 
foot is shod until it gets back into a correct state of 
growth. Fit the shoe as shown, driving the last nail 
on the outside well back, a little further back than 
the nail of the inside. It will be seen that this shoe 
fits snug, a shade inside of the wall, all along the out- 
side to the outside toe, even with the wall from this 
point around to a shade back of last inside nail, and 
from there back to point of heel full, a little outside 

31 




No. 6. 



the line of wall. This manner of fitting the shoe 
balances the irregular foot and will, consequently, 
assist it to regain its proper state of growth. The 
support is lessened on the stronger portion of the foot 
—the outside— and is strengthened on the weaker 
portion —the inside. It will be noticed that the dis- 
tance of each inside heel of shoe from the crevice of 
the frog at the heel, is almost exactly the same, as 
near so as can be obtained at first attempt. It will 
also be noticed that the distance of each side of the 
shoe from the inside of web, at a point on a line with 
the point of the frog, will be found to be about the 
same, showing that the manner of fitting the shoe 
as explained makes the balance of the foot pretty 
nearly correct. 

Numbe'r 6 represents one of the styles of feet to be 
found forward, more frequently on many of our 
trotting and' driving horses, and is placed here to 
show more particularly the effect on the ankle joint 
of a foot of such incorrect angles. The directions 
given with No. 4 will explain how to put this foot in 
proper proportion and angle so that it will give the 
needed support to the limb. 

32 







No. 7. 

Number 7 is a not infrequent, but on the contrary, 
a very common form of foot to be seen on many of 
our horses, more frequently behind, and it is the 
cause of crooked legs, Curbs, Spavins, Knuckling, 
etc. In preparing this foot for the shoe, the 
length and depth of the front of the foot needs 
attention from the smith with his rasp to remove 
the surplus. It most likely cannot, usually, be 
accomplished with the first preparation, that is, 
it cannot be gotten immediately to absolutely 
correct proportions, and it is not good judgment to 
undertake to get it so, at once, as the change would 
be too positive. Nothing must be taken off the heels 
of such a shaped foot until they shall have had an 
opportunity to grow down to below proper depth, so 
in the meantime until they shall have grown to 
proper depth, support the heels of the foot with small 
calkins on the heels of the shoes— none on the front 
part, however— gradually lessen the depth of shoe— at 
each resetting or re-shoeing— at heels,calkins included, 
until the foot shall have grown down to proper depth, 
when shoe with plain shoes of even thickness all 
around from heel to heel. 

33 




No. 18. 



Numbers. This cut shows the form of foot to be 
found on curby legs and spavined legs; it is often found 
to be the cause of knuckling on hind ankles, yes, and on 
fore ones also. It will be seen that the foot is very long 
and very deep in the front part and of proportion- 
ately very little depth at the heels. The base of the 
structure is wrong, the pedal, or coffin bone, is thrown 
upward in front from the thickening of the horn below 
and is canted towards the back; this throws the lower 
pastern bone— that makes the first joint in the foot in 
connection with the coffin bone — and the navicular 
bone as well, out of position, with the result that all 
of the succeeding joints are more or less "out of 
whack" in their action. 

Number 18 is a cut of foot not dissimilar to num- 
bers, but the angle of the joints is changed at the 
union of the upper pastern and the main lower bone 
of the leg so that the ankle is affected, the articula- 
tion being comparatively correct above that point, 
the hock joint is not as likely to be also involved, a 
trouble more apt to result in the case of number 8. 
Directions under number 4 will explain how to correct 
the improper proportions of such feet so as to 
eradicate and prevent the troubles they cause, and as 
explained. 

34 



,t ,'V - 



V\ \ \ 





No. 9%, 




Number 9 is a cut of the "toe out" foot, the 
"fence banger." The position of the bones forming 
the articulation are shown here, clearly proving that 
when it is disturbed at the base it interferes with the 
whole system of joints throughout the entire leg, and 
that it is the faulty position of the foot, in its toeing 
out propensity, that gives the inward slant to the leg 
and makes the elbow cling in close to the body, just 
the contrary to that of the " toe in " foot as shown in 
cut No. 11. Cut No. 10 shows the surface of the same 
foot (No. 9) and the manner of shoeing it and direc- 
tions for pairing. Rasp off the surface of wall from 
1 to 2, not too much, from 2 to 3 considerable may be 
taken off with the rasp. Nothing off from 3 to 5 — 
foot surface around inside toe— but from 5 to 6 rasp 
off to make heel same depth as outside. If these 
heels are not of sufficient depth— as explained under 
Number 4— to be in proper proportion, do not rasp off 
any of the surface wall at the heels. From 4 to 4, 
after having rasped the surface as already directed, 
lessen the depth, if it shall require it, equally all 
around the surface from 4 at about the quarter around 
the front of the foot surface to 4 at the other quarter. 
Fit the shoe even with the wall on the outside from 
1 to 4, snug, inside the wall,from 4 to 3, even with the 
wall from 3 to 5 and full from 5 back to point of heel 
at 6. Before fitting the shoe, the foot should be taken 
up in front of the leg and the protruding outside toe 
rasped off from 2 to 3 as shown in cut No. 9. This 
should be done each time the animal is shod until that 
toe gets into a regular state of growth and in conform- 
ity to the inside one of same foot. Rasp the outside 
of the wall down to the shoe at from 4 to 3, but do not 
otherwise rasp the wall on its outside, above or back 
of the clinches,, and do not rasp off any of the enamel 
to make the -foot look " puty." 

A foot may '-toe out " and the ankle turn in badly 
from a different cause from the one given here, 
though such cases are indeed very rare. The " toe 
in " foot is not apt to be produced— though it might 
possibly assume that faulty position— from any other 
cause than that already assigned to it. The toeing 



out of the foot, the author has seen caused by its 
being too high at inside heel and outside toe, and not 
too high on the outside of the foot back of that point, 
a more frequent cause of the faulty position. (See 
cut No. 9%). It depends entirely what angle the 
first bone above the pedal bone assumes as a result of 
the unbalanced foot. The raising of the inside heel 
of the foot, not the raising of the surface lay of the 
foot with some artificial appliance so that it shall be 
deeper by including it, may, and most generally does, 
cant the smaller pastern or coronary bone with a 
decided slant towards the outside line of the limb; per 
contra, it may cant it so that it will have a most 
clearly defined inclination to the inside of the leg, 
making the foot turn out at the toe (" toe out ") while 
with the other position of the coronary or lower 
pastern bone it would certainly "toe in." The cus- 
tomary way of shoeing the toeing out, knee-hitting 
foot is to rasp off the outside of the wall around 
inside toe and fit the shoe snug around the foot at 
that point, and fit it full around the outside of the 
foot. This is all wrong, for it throws the foot out of 
balance and will assist in keeping up the wrong 
position of it, for the incorrect articulation that 
causes the trouble will continue, will in fact, grow to 
be more emphasized in its errors of action, causing 
serious trouble to the joints, tendons and muscles, and 
will cause the foot to wind in more than ever towards 
the opposite leg. 




■i 




V f-\ 



Number 11. A cut of the "toe in" foot. This 
faulty action is just as fatiguing to the animal as the 
" toe out " foot, but it is rarely thought of because 
neither leg is interfered with at any point, by the 
action of the foot of the opposite one coming against 
it. This foot requires a preparation for the shoe 
almost the opposite of the "toe out" foot. The 
surface wall should be rasped down from 1 all around 
the inside of the wall of the foot to 2 on outside toe as 
marked, see cut No. 12. The foot should be taken in 
front of the leg by the smith and the outside of the 
wall at the inside toe rasped off to match the outside 
one, as shown on cut No. 11 from 2 to 3. The shoe 
should be fitted full from 1 to 3, snug inside the wall 
from 3 to 2, and full from 2 to 4 and follow the line of 
the wall from 4 back to point of heel, as shown on cut 
No. 12. 

Number 13 is a cut of the wide foot, about as wide, 
or wider, as it is long on its surface lay. , This is a 
weak foot and the wall, it will be noticed, is separated 
from the sole. Many people say a foot cannot be too 
broad or too wide ; they are mistaken, it can, and here 
is an evidence of it. Such feet are usually found to be 
broad on the ground surface but narrow and tight at 
the coronet, a condition that causes an impoverished 
growth of the wall, and it is evident such is the case, 
for the wall of such feet will usually be found to be 
thin as also brittle. In such a foot that discoloration 
in the sole called "corns" will be often discernable 
and it arises from the same cause as described under 
the article on " Corns " which see. The proper manner 
of shoeing this foot is to fit the shoe evenly under the 
wall all around, except to have it a trifle full at the 
heels, if they shall be found to have become curled in- 
ward somewhat— not an infrequent condition to be met 
with in such feet— knock a clip on the shoe inside and 
outside at the quarters— or at the broadest part of the 
. foot and this is not invariably at exactly what are 
designated as the quarters— at points designated by 
space from 1 to 2 and 1 to 2, and have the last nails at 
the back of the shoes, carried well back towards the 
heels— just the opposite to that prescribed for placing 

39 



3~ 




No. 14. 
of the nails in the shoe of the one on cut Number 14. 
After the shoe is nailed to the foot and before the 
smith releases the foot, he should hammer these clips 
to the wall so they can get a firm grip. This manner 
of fitting the shoe to such a foot will hold it together 
at the bottom, giving it increased supporting strength 
and it will also loosen it at the coronet, allowing free 
circulation of blood, therefore a healthier state of 
growth, with the result of a stronger wall and an im- 
proved condition of foot generally. Such a foot should 
be shod in this manner, for. say about two to three 
montrhs— unless it shows marked improvement in a 
less time— when it can be shod, most likely, like any 
other foot. Always use a shoe of equal thickness 
from heel to heel for such a foot. 

Number 14 'is a.cut of a contracted foot- Most gen- 
erally the heels of such a foot will be found to be 
entirely too deep, they should be lowered to the 
proper proportion of height, as directed in the meas- 
urements given in the explanation of cut No. 4. This 
will enable the bones to settle back to their proper 

40 



resting place and relieve the tightened condition at 
the coronet. Lessen the depth of the foot in front if 
out of proportion. Now then, take the knife— cut 
given in this work— and clean out the commissures, 
that is, run this knife back from the point at the frog 
designated by No. 1, 1, carry the back of the knife 
close up against the frog, back along its entire length 
to, and through, between it and the walls at the 
heels, cut down perpendicular in this way until the 
sole under the point of the knife along the line of the 
frog will give to a pressure from it (the point of the 
knife). Care must be taken not to cut through at 
any point, but this stubborn upper growth of horn 
must be weakened so that it will not possess strength 
enough to push up into the vital part of the foot and 
cause discomfort to the animal at every step ; much 
as it would be to a man walking on the points of the 
nails of his boot heels that had pushed up through 
the inner sole and were pressing their points into his 
foot heel. 

The shoe must be fitted as shown ; even with the 
wall all around the front of the foot from 3 to 3, full, 
outside of the wall, from 3 to 2 and 3 to 2. Have the 
shoes, from about at 3, 3, back to point of heels beveled, 
slightly, on the foot surface, towards the outside (the 
natural inclination of the smith in hammering the 
shoes at the anvil, seems to be to get the bevel towards 
the inside, the author has often noticed this), this 
will give the foot a chance to expand, slightly, each 
time the foot strikes the ground and will therefore 
help to get them into a better habit of growth, as 
nature can now assert herself and help to open this 
foot out at the heels. The nails should not be driven 
back any further towards the heels than designated 
in the cut, the heel then can have nothing to bind it 
and prevent it from opening, as it will, when the 
weight is placed on it. Nature will do the rest and 
no artificial spreaders are either necessary or useful. 




No. r>. 



Number 15. This cut is a pretty good likeness of the 
fore feet of "Jay- Eye- See," 2M^, and "Direct," 2.053^, 
when the author first took them in hand to shoe. This 
is a characteristic foot of the family that those two 
horses are sprung from, for they are Uncle (Jay-Eye-See) 
and Nephew (Direct). Jay-Eye-See being by Dictator, 
brother to Dexter, Mr. Bonner's great horse— and he 
was lame when Mr. Bonner bought him— and Direct 
by Director, also a son of Dictator. The author says 
a characteristic foot of the family, so it is. That 
family had small feet— supposedly an inheritance 
from the Star mare, the dam of Dexter, Dictator, 
etc.— but really good feet, and they required a great 
deal of care to keep them from becoming contracted, 
and when once they got to be wrong, it was an awful 
job to get them back again, for they were hardy and 
unyielding. The author remembers well the trouble 
he had to get the feet of Jay-Eye-See started to grow- 
ing, the tightness around the coronet was such that 
it seemed as though the hide had grown tight to the 
bones, but it- finally yielded and the cast-iron, clever, 
splendid little fellow, (gamey and perfect in disposi- 
tion) got to having pretty good feet. The author did 
not have so much to do with Direct, he was a young 
horse about 6 years it seems, and his feet yielded to 
treatment more readily than the older one, so that he 
only shod him twice, the second shoeing being only a 

42 



few days before he was driven to his record and he 
has been retired to the stud ever since. 

The dotted lines running down the front line of 
leg to floor are to show more particularly the position 
of the foot— as regarding its angle to the leg— of 
Direct more than of Jay-Eye-See, for the latter's 
pastern was not quite so badly on the slant, though 
there was not much difference. The latter straight- 
ened up from this position so that his foot became to 
be in quite proper angle to the limb, more so than did 
Direct's for he was under the charge of the author as 
to shoeing for about 3 months, whereas he supervised 
the shoeing of Direct but twice, 3 weeks intervening 
between the two shoeings. 




n i 



No. 17. 



43 




No. 27. 




No. 28. 




No. 32. 




No. 3,3. 
44 



Number 16. This cut shows the position of the 
bones in forming the faulty articulation caused by an 
extremely deep heel— yet with a little more depth at 
front of foot than is proper— and showing that the 
angle was kept pretty true until it came to the joint 
formed by the cannon and the upper pastern bone. 
At this point the proper angle was lost and the result 
is a case of " Knee Sprung." This is one of the three 
different causes that will be shown here for a u Knee 
Sprung" formation. As said before, just which way 
the cant of the misplaced bones slant can be noticed 
from the positions of any of the joiDts that " are out 
of whack." Putting this foot back to its proper 
proportions so that the articulation can be made to be 
smooth and frictionless, as it can, will give nature 
a chance to remedy the faulty action and the leg will 
come back to its normal condition again. The author 
has straightened badly "Knee Sprung" legs on 
horses as old as 15 to 17 years, and had them keep 
strong and straight in their limbs, and it can be 
learned from these pages how easily it is of accom- 
plishment. 

Number 17. Exhibits another form of foot found 
on the " knee sprung " animal. The raising of the 
front of the pedal bone gives a backward cant to the 
smaller pastern, or coronary bone, which causes an 
improper articulation all through the succeeding 
joints to the knee, and it (the knee) will be uncom- 
fortable in its action also. The pedal bone is thrown 
out of position by the unwarranted depth of the front 
of the foot in proportion to the depth of the heels. 
Also number 22 is still another form; the toe is not 
deep enough in comparison to the great depth at the 
heels and the first articulation is seriously incorrect, 
creating trouble through the succeeding ones. The 
ankle joint in this case is quite likely, also, to be 
seriously involved. 

These illustrations, like that also of No. 20, are 
given to show that the improper position of the pedal 
bone is productive of many and varied faulty articula- 
tions, and that the effect of such on the first and suc- 
ceeding articulations, is not the same in all cases. 

45 




No. 20 



No. 22. 



This last, number 20, shows the ankle to be seriously 
affected instead of the knee, while the foot is of very 
similar form to that of cut number 22, wherein the 
knee joint is afflicted. These difficulties are all easily 
overcome, and the articulation can be made smooth 
and-frictionless by following the directions for form 
of foot, given in the description under number 4, 
which see. .Don't use irregular thickness of iron to 
overcome these .defects, except in rare cases and as 
directed in the paragraph, " Balancing the Foot with 
Rasp, not Shoe," which study carefully. 



46 




No. 19. 




No. 33. 



Number 19 shows the form of foot most frequently 
found on the elbow hitter, though numbers 21 and 23 
are also forms that will create this bad action but not 
so frequently as number 19. The enlargement at the 
ankle on number 23 shows one of the very frequent 
results of the use of toe or side weights, for they force 
the animal to an action not warranted by the condi- 
tion of the articulation. 19 and 21 are the sort of fore 
feet usually found on the forger, and scalping is fre- 
quently caused by them, though in the case of scalp- 
ing the hind feet also are often found to be at fault. 
The primary cause of the foot getting up to and inter- 
fering with the elbow is this: the extra exertion of the 
flexor tendon required to flex this long toe, is such, 
that when the foot does leave the ground, it does so 
with great force and rapidity of action; it is, conse- 
quently, by this intense pull on it, carried higher than 
it would be, if flexed with the ease of the foot of pro- 
per proportion and smooth articulation, and which 
would leave the ground with an easy and pleasing 
action of the flexors. The author has cured this 
habit, arising from such a foot as shown by number 
19, by lessening the depth of the front of the foot, with 
the rasp on the surface of the wall and by also using 
the rasp around the outside of the wall on the front of 
the foot, removing the elongated toe; after having thus 
prepared the foot, he would adjust to it a shoe of 
equal thickness from heel to heel, unless the heels 
were too low in proportion, in which case he would 
put slight calkins on the heels of the shoe to increase 
the depth, (of shoe and foot) to proper angle, until the 
heels shall have time to grow down to requisite 
depth, then use a plain shoe. The heel calkins would 
assist in resting the joints, tendons and muscles, 
though they would not change the faulty articulation, 
for, that could be done only by growing the foot into 
proper proportion and angle. 

Number 24 exhibits a not infrequent badly formed 
hind foot— contracted— as is usually the case with the 
hind foot, contrary to that most frequent with the 
fore feet— on the outside. For this foot fit the shoe 
even with the wall all around from inside heel to 

48* 




No. 24. 



outside quarter, and from there back to point of heel, 
full but straight (the inside of the web of each heel 
should measure about equal distance from the crevice 
in frog at heel), the shoe must not be curled outward on 
the outside at heel, and must not extend back at the 
heel beyond the surface lay of the wall of the foot (unless 
it is necessary to use scalpers, when both heels should 
extend back far enough to hold the strap usually used), 
and the shoe should not extend back further on one 
side of the foot at the heel than on the other. If this 
foot is of proper proportion of depth at front and back 
adjust a plain shoe of even thickness from heel to 
heel; if, however, that most frequent fault— more 
particularly noticeable on the hind feet— of having the 
heels of not sufficient depth shall be the condition of 
them, then, and then only, turn up a slight heel calkin, 
but do not use them when the heels of the feet are of 
required depth. 

49 



""II " IIIMIMII 



No. 25. 




No. 26. 




No. 30. 




No. 31. 
~50 



Numbers 30 and 31 show cuts of a shoe for 
the fore foot which the author has used with 
great success. This is the only irregular shaped 
shoe he ever used, under any circumstances, for 
he does not believe in the use of them, has 
been successful in his practice without employing 
them and he cannot see the utility of using shoes 
that are at variance with the proper level tread 
of the foot, except that he does invariably have the 
front of the shoe around the toe on the ground surface 
rasped off about as much as a ten days' use would 
lessen the depth at the toe of the shoe; he does this to 
save the animal that much wear and tear of tendons, 
muscles and joints necessary to produce this lessened 
toe at surface. Such a shoe is shown in Nos. 25 and 26 
and it will be seen to be slightly drawn from about last 
nail hole back to point of heel. This is the proper shoe 
to use on sound, well-balanced feet at both ends, before 
and behind, except the toe need not be worn off on 
ground surface for hind shoes, for there the full form of 
shoe is needed to catch the ground well, to assist the 
propelling of the body and the load. These shoes 
should be made of steel not over five-eighths {%) of an 
inch wide. But to return to No. 30. This shoe is for 
use on a horse for speed, or for road driving, that is 
afflicted in his joints, ankle particularly, as also some- 
what strained in his muscles and tendons, that is, 
after getting his fore feet trued and balanced so the 
cause of the afflictions to joints, tendons and muscles 
is removed, this shoe will be found to be a resting 
shoe, as one might say, during the healing process 
nature is indulging in, after the cause of incorrect 
articulation has been removed. 

The artist failed to show, plainly, the worn off toe at surface 
in 26. 



51 



52 



Farrier's Knife. 

Number 29 is a cut of a farrier's knife. This knife 
is double edged, sharpened the entire length of the 
blade on one side and only about half the length on 
the other, as shown by cut ; it is especially made to 
use in cleaning out the commissures in a contracted 
foot, as described and directed to be done, in treating 
the contracted foot number 14. It will be noticed 
that the turn at the point is a sharp one, and that the 
width over all at point is very slight ; it is made so 
for a purpose, and that is, so that it shall make only 
a narrow cleaning out of the commissures. The idea 
of cleaning out these objectionable parts of the 
deformed foot is to weaken them, so they cannot 
exert a harmful pressure upward into the vital part 
of the foot, as already explained. It is not necessary, 
nor would it be productive of the desired improve- 
ment, to dig down into them with a knife broader on 
the point than the one here shown, for before the 
ordinary farrier's knife, with its broader point, had 
reached down into them far enough to give the re- 
quired relief the wide point would have broken 
through on each side and the blood would flow. This 
must be avoided; the commissures must be weakened, 
but they must not be cut through so that blood would 
flow. The author can furnish such a knife, upon 
application, maAe of good, well tempered steell with 
leatheV blade cas\ hard woofi handle Vf propea size 
and shaoe, for $A£0, sent t<\ any addVess, postage 
paid, on Receipt ofVprice in anything \put postage 
stamps. dHje handlexis one inch longer than cut, 
blade same length as shown. 




^>t^*^cf 



53 



Draft Horses, 

Cut numbers 27 and 28 show a proper form of shoe 
for use on Draft Horses' feet. It will be noticed that 
the calkins are not as deep as those usually used and 
of course will not wear as long, but the saving of 
strain to the animal with the result of his being better 
able to more fully utilize his powers, with the much 
lessened chances of his becoming strained and lamed 
will more than compensate for the tew dollars of extra 
cost in re-calking his shoes a little oftener than has 
been the custom. The shoes should not be made so 
heavy, about one-half to three-fifths of the weight of 
iron usually used will be found sufficient and if the 
shoes are made narrower, never over one inch in 
width, but of usual thickness, they will wear just as long 
and the animal's joints, tendons and muscles will be 
saved much wear and jar in consequence. The nails 
should be driven at the places in the shoe as"on cut, 
the last nail never further back towards the heel than 
shown, except in the excessively broad and conse- 
quently weak formation of foot, and directions for the 
placing of them in shoes for such a foot, as also the 
clips necessary, are described in the directions for 
shoeing the foot, shown in cut number 13, which see. 

One of the most frequent and serious faults in the 
preparation of the feet of our Draft Horses is that of 
allowing them to become too deep in the front— often 
also, too long at the toes — and of too little depth at 
the -heels. This fault is more frequently noticeable on 
the hind than on the fore feet and causes a great 
strain to all of the joints, tendons and muscles of the 
propelling power. Study carefully the discriptions of 
proportion as given under No. 4, for they are to 
govern in the preparation of the feet of all horses, 
and for whatever service used. 



,-»4 



Numbers 32 and 33 show cuts ot a hind shoe for use 
more particularly on the race track, for speed purposes, 
though it will be found to be useful for road driving. By 
examining this shoe carefully it will be observed that 
while there is a deepening of the shoe at the toe, 
forming as it were, a toe calkin, whereby the animal 
obtains a firm grip on the ground at the propelling 
end, where 'tis needed, the shoe is beveled off from 
the front part, so that, unlike the calkin, if the foot 
should interfere with the front foot it would not 
"cut the quarter" as 'tis called, at any time, but 
would simply pound it slightly and slide off; at 
same time, this formation of toe gives the full benefit 
of a calkin, without, as expressed, any of \,he disad- 
vantages attaching to the latter. It will be noticed 
also that the heel calkins are turned up only to balance 
the shoe so that it shall be of same depth, or thickness 
at heels as at front of shoe. Friends of the author 
have informed him that they consider this shoe for 
hind foot the bestspeeding shoe ever put onto a horse— 
and certainly superior to any they have ever used. 
Many of his friends are "stuck" on the front shoe 
number 31 also, for the track particularly, as owing to 
the very slight ground surface, the foot gets an easy 
blow and then again the resistance is slight, enabling 
the foot to be flexed with the utmost ease. A shoe of 
this kind for a horse of 15% hands will weigh about 9 
to 10 ounces; (they can be made heavier yes, and can 
be made lighter) but any horse properly balanced in 
his articulation should be able to trot square and true 
with that, yes, with much less weight. 

The artist made a mistake iri number 33, and the drawing does 
not show the calkin-like shape at toe. 



55 



Hind Feet Interfering. 

When the ankle of hind leg is interfered with by 
the foot of the opposite leg, it is because the foot of 
the leg on which is the afflicted ankle is wrong, it is 
too high on the inside from the heel to the toe. This 
gives the leg the appearance of " bow leg" (the con- 
trary condition, too deep on the outside of foot, pro- 
ducers the "cow hocked " formation) and the slant of 
the foot makes it wind in to find a comfortable lay on 
the ground in its action, with the consequence, 
naturally, that it thus gets in the way of the opposite 
foot in passing and is therefore hit by that foot. The 
same when both ankles are interfered with, both 
feet are too deep inside. Now it is foolish and not 
productive of good results— for the sought for remedy 
cannot be obtained by resorting to such means— to 
build up the height of the outside, or lower side of the 
foot, by the use of a shoe thickened on that side, 
doing this will wrench the ankle joint. The proper 
way to do is to lower with the rasp the surface of the 
side that is too high, so that it will match exactly in 
height the opposite of that same foot, and adjust a 
shoe of equal thickness from heel to heel, except, of 
course, where calkins are employed and they should 
be placed on the shoe as directed under the head of 
Calkins, How to Proportion, which see. 



Why Hind Shoes Wear Irregularly. 

When the shoes on the hind feet wear away more 
rapidly on the outside toe — a frequent fault with our 
trotters and pacers— balance the foot and fit the shoe 
snug at the outside toe, full— but a straight shoe, no 
curling outward— at the outside heel and even with 
the wall all the. rest of the way around to the inside 
heel. This Will .assist in balancing the action, for the 
surplus iron at the wearing point will be lessened, 
therefore less to strike the ground and gradually as 
the foot, thus assisted in its action, becomes truer in 
its motion, then the shoe can be fitted evenly all 
around and will wear evenly: 

56 



Growth of Hind Feet. 

It is a not infrequent trouble with the hind feet 
that they get to growing outward at the outside quar- 
ter, forming a wing thereon and thus growing away 
from the proper line of the limb, and therefore not 
properly supporting it. This outside wing should be 
gradually rasped off and the shoe fitted snug, close 
inside of the wall under this irregular growth and a 
shade full along the inside from toe back to heel. 
This will weaken the support of the overgrown side 
of the foot and strengthen the weaker side, thus 
assisting nature to cure this irregularity of growth, 
with the result - of aiding the foot in its proper sup- 
port of the limb. 

Balance the Foot with Rasp, not Shoe. 

When a foot is out of balance, one side higher— or 
deeper as some may choose to call it— than the other, 
the lessened depth must not be increased by the 
appliance of iron to raise that side to the depth of the 
deeper, but the deeper side must be rasped down on 
the surface of the wall to match the depth of the 
lesser, for it must be borne in mind that the improper 
position of the bones in the foot creating the incor- 
rect articulation cannot be changed to a proper one, 
except by adjusting the "balance" of the foot itself. 
External appliances, such as increased thickness of 
shoe at one point or another will not and cannot 
remedy the evil. If, however, the deepest side of the 
foot is not in itself deep enough, in comparison, so as 
to be able to stand paring to obtain the required 
depth, owing to the fact that the opposite side is 
altogether too much lessened in depth, then a thick- 
ened shoe may be used until the feet shall be grown 
down to sufficient depth to obviate the difficulty by 
the use of the rasp only. These instructions apply 
-more particularly to the back part of the feet, though 
of course irregularities in depth at any point on the 
foot must be remedied by the rasp used on the surface 
where possible, and not by the use of thickened shoes 
except as mentioned. 

57 



"Hitching," String-halt and "Cross Firing." 

These three faults, "Hitching," Stringhalt and 
"Cross Firing,*' are all caused by unbalanced feet, 
therefore, an irregular and improper working of the 
joints, or the muscles, or the tendons, sometimes, 
and in fact quite frequently, all three may be in- 
volved. Hitching can almost invariably be cured in 
one shoeing; the author has never failed to make the 
"hitch" disappear with one preparation of the foot, of 
which he has testimonials establishing the fact. 
Stringhalt is not as easily cured, but in all the cases 
that have come under the personal treatment of the 
author, he has cured each and every one of them, and 
he has invariably found the cause to be an unbalanced 
foot (with excessive tightness at the coronet, easily 
corrected) consequently incorrect articulation. 

"Cross Firing" is much more easily cured than 
Stringhalt. In the case of one (or both) hind foot 
winding in, out of a straight and proper line, the 
cause can always be located invariably, in an un- 
balanced foot, and the instructions contained herein 
will enable anyone of ordinary intelligence to correct 
the fault, in fact all three of the above, as well as 
numerous others of the many faults of incorrect 
balance to be met with, and to do so without the aid 
of any mechanical appliances whatever. 

Another, though not so frequent a fault as l 'Hitch- 
ing" and "Cross Firing" is that of twisting the hind 
leg or legs, that is, turning the heel of the foot out- 
ward by twisting ever on outside toe. This also is 
caused by an unbalanced foot and can easily and 
surely be stopped, as the author also has learned from 
his own personal experience in stopping it, generally 
in one preparation and shoeing of the foot, using only 
a plai-n /shoe, as he always does. 
Runner. 
Balancing' tne. Runner is accomplished in the same 
manner as that prescribed for the Trotter and Pacer, 
notwithstanding they wear plates and not shoes. 
The author has balanced several of them, though he 
has not been fortunate enough to form the acquaint- 
ance of the owners of any of^the more celebrated ones, 

58 



going at that gait, as he has those owning such as go at 
the trot and pace. The Runner can be so balanced in 
his feet as to make the articulation so smooth and 
frictionless, the action therefore, of the joints, tendons 
and muscles so equalized, that it will be impossible 
for a "break-clown " to occur, except by the rarest and 
most infrequent of accidents. He may be run to a 
standstill, he may be jumped over hurdles and ditches 
with impunity, but he cannot u break down", for 
there will be no unequal strain on the joints, tendons or 
muscles, the primary causes of all "break-downs''. 

As the author has had considerable experience in 
driving horses, covering many years, he has been 
repeatedly asked questions about check reins, etc. 




The above cut shows a checking rig— partly the 
-invention of the author— used by him for past 20 
years on different horses of varied dispositions and 
with satisfactory results in all cases. They could all 
go faster and steadier than with any other manner of 
checking. It gives the animal " a fine mouth." It is 

59 



the best by all means, for rigging a team for style 
and comfort of driving. While this arrangement 
gives more perfect control of the animal in case of 
fright, accident, etc., it is at no time oppressive or in 
the least annoying to him. For breaking and driving 
colts it is invaluable. 

It was a rig exactly like thi s that the great ' ' Alix" wore 
when she made the world's record, 2.03%, and after the 
author of this work had directed the preparation and shoe- 
ing of her feet. 



u Balancing- the Trotter." 

Copy of a Utter written by the author and published in the Ameri- 
can Horse Breeder of Boston. 

" I am in receipt of your favor asking me to write for you an 
article on the above subject. I will try to give you some points 
that may be of interest, but as horses' feet differ so widely, it 
would take a volume of good size to give a set of rules that 
could sufficiently cover the many types of different feet, so that 
it might be found of practical benefit to owners and breeders, 
and they are the class of people who might be interested, if I can 
command attention from any who take an interest in the horse 
and how to balance his action. Drivers and trainers have rarely 
any use for information. They "know it all," and I do not 
write for their edification. 

One thing to start with is that I never use any peculiar shoe 
or any artificial mechanical contrivance to balance the gait of 
the trotters. I do all my work in the way of balancing on the 
feet themselves, and adjust a shoe that carries out perfectly 
that balance, for pacers as well as trotters. 

I notice that all of the so-called practical horseshoers explain 
how to cure this and that trouble of irregular action by the use 
of some sort of a shoe, made in an irregular manner. Very few 
of the designs described are at all novel or new to me, and not a 
single one of them is fit or necessary to put on the foot of a 
horse in order to correct the fault it is sought to remedy. 

Strange shoes may temporarily change the action of the knee 
hitter, the elbow hitter, the forger, the scalper and other wrong 
and deviating gaits; but they will not cure the animal of any of 
these faults, if the foot that offends be still allowed to remain in 
the faulty position that caused the irregulari ty complained of. 
Another objection to the use of such inventions is that most of 
them do actual harm to the joints, tendons and muscles of the 
animal. It must be borne in mind that the instinct of the horse 
suggests to him the action or gait that is the easiest for him to 
use, and such he will invariably employ. 
60 



Should the motion be wrong and not in proper rhythm, and 
the animal is forced to adopt by the use of mechanical appli- 
ances any other line of action, without the faulty articulation 
being corrected, he will do so at the cost of injury to some parts 
of the motor power, just as sure as it is true that the sun "do rise 
and set." 

In my younger days the perfectly-proper foot for all horses 
was one that on its surface lay would make an almost perfect 
circle, barring the break at the heel. It was claimed by such 
people as Goodenough, the inventor of the shoe bearing his 
name, that the foot should be as broad as it was long. At the 
time he came on the carpet, about 30 years ago, high heels and 
short toes were in vogue as the general rule for the front feet 
for the light-harness horse. Yes, in fact, for all horses that were 
shod. Goodenough— and I knew him intimately— was the first 
man at that time, 30 years ago, who called my attention to horse- 
shoeing for my own horses. 

His whole system consisted in cutting down the heels to get 
"frog pressure." He knew nothing about the proper proportion- 
ing of the foot. He also knew absolutely nothing about what 
was a fair proportion of depth for the front of the foot, as com- 
pared with the depth of the hind part of it, and that was why 
many horses became lame after wearing the shoe that he 
invented. The fault was not with the shoe, for that has its 
merits, but it was this constant hacking away at the heels and 
leaving the front of the feet all out of proportion as to depth and 
length. 

I speak of this, as it leads up to the practioe now in vogue. 
Almost all drivers and trainers have the feet of their trotting 
horses too long and too deep in the front of the foot, in propor- 
tion to the height or depth, whichever term may seem to best 
convey the idea intended, at the heels. This is one of the most 
frequent causes of unbalanced gaits. The low-heel trouble is 
more frequently to be seen on the hind than on the fore feet, 
and is one of the causes of crooked, cow-hocked legs, which 
produce curbs, spavins, etc. Then on this unbalanced foot is 
placed that most nonsensical and absurd thing, it is not worthy 
to be called shoe, the long outside winged heel for the hind feet, 
longer than the foot and running away off to the outside like a 
sled runner. This contrivance, coupled with the unbalanced foot 
on which it is placed, has made more lame horses behind than 
most any and all other contrivances that the genius of man has 
yet devised. 

Why put on such a thing? What is it for? Why put this wing 
on the shoe? There is no foot where it is put. It supports (?) 
nothing; it is only in the way and gives the animal an unnatural 
tread and an uncomfortable one. Why put iron in such a useless 
-abundance where there is no foot? Don't do it. There are feet 
and feet. The old-fashioned round foot spoken of was a weak 
one. Many times, yes, quite frequently, it would be found upon 
examination of the bottom of the foot that the wall had separ- 
ated from the sole. Widening the foot out this way caused the 
walls to spread apart away from their proper position as a means 
61 



of support to the pedal bone, consequently the main support to 
the limb was weakened and the principal and most important 
articulation seriously interfered with. This style of foot'was 
cultivated most frequently for the fore feet. The hind ones would 
be lower at the heels. 

In shoeing such a foot the shoe should follow closely the wall 
from heel to heel, all around, and at the quarters, both inside 
and outside, a clip should be struck on the shoe and the nails al- 
lowed to be driven well back toward the heels, which never should 
be allowed in a foot of fairly correct proportions, and the clips 
hammered to a proper, good resting place before the foot is 
placed on the floor from the smith's hands. This^practice of shoe- 
ing such feet will gradually bring them together more, as it 
were, and make them incline to a healthier proportion of growth, 
and thus will the support be regained and an important point in 
balancing the trotter be gained also. 

Horses with such feet as described for the fore and hind ones 
will be found standing with their fore feet well back under the 
girth and their hind ones standing under their loins. Very little 
space will be noticeable between the fore and hind feet on the 
ground lay of them. In old times this used to be " the thing." 
It used to be remarked, " I like to see a horse stand with all his 
four feet well under his body." 

Now, a good judge of horses wishes to see the hind legs stand 
straight down under the quarters, so that a plummet attached 
to a string held at the point of the hock will make the string lay 
against the back part of the leg, all the way down to the fetlock 
joint. When a horse stands this way not much fault can be 
found with the "balance of the trotter," as far as his hind action 
is concerned. Then, with the front feet in proper proportion 
and angle, the leg will stand plumb and straight from the 
shoulder down, and not with the feet standing back under the 
girth. 

The only way to "balance the trotter" is to have his feet truly 
balanced and in proper proportion and at proper angle to the 
limbs they support, so that the articulation will be as near fric- 
tionless as possible. With this condition maintained the 
animal's instinctive action will be even and true, with a perfect 
rhythm. 

The fad nowadays with nearly all drivers and trainers is the 
long and deep foot in the front part and an all-out-of-proportion, 
low heel. This manner of proportioning the feet is ruining our 
trotters faster than we can raise and educate them. If the 
smith cannot balance the foot any other way, let him measure it 
with a set compass, so that he may be enabled to have one side 
exactly the same -height as its opposite of the same foot. In 
this way one of the most important points in "balancing the 
trotter" will have been gained. 

Now as to the proportion and angle of the foot to the limb 
it supports. I have to stop here. I know of no infallible rule to 
lay down for this, except that the measurement of the front of 
the foot from centre at the coronet to the surface lay of 
the foot should be about 65 per cent, of that of the depth of it, 
62 



measuring from the same point at coronet back along- an 
imaginary line drawn straight through the center of the foot, 
from the point of commencement at the coronet, back to a line 
drawn across the heels, and the judgment of the intelligent 
owner and breeder must come in now to govern. He must get 
the foot of the proper depth and length in front and proper depth 
at the heels, so that to his eyes it shall look as though it was set 
under the limb in artistic comfort. 

When the feet are apparently well balanced aDd in proper 
proportion and angle to the limbs, rasp off the edge of the wall 
at surface and drive the horse a few days barefooted. It will not 
hurt him or hurt his feet, for the feet when sound and healthy 
(if the soles have been left intact, as they should be) do not need 
any protection of iron nailed on to them, it matters not how hard 
the road-bed may be. If his gait is smooth and even at the trot 
without shoes you have got him balanced. 

Now, then, shoe him with exactly the same weight of iron on 
each of the four feet. That is, make the hind shoes of the same 
bar of steel (it is better than iron for shoes for many reasons) 
that the fore ones are made of. Then if the hind feet are a little 
smaller, as they sometimes are, the shoes will be all right. Why 
should you put more weight on one foot than on the other if 
your trotter is perfectly balanced in his gait barefooted? There 
is no reason why you should do so, and I have balanced a great 
many trotters and pacers in just this way, and always success- 
fully. 

I trued and balanced the feet of a colt recently for a friend 
of mine near Chicago. This colt is a yearling, a good, strong one, 
speedy, and after I fixed his feet, pure gaited. I told this young 
man not to put any shoes on him at all, for what little driving I 
wished him to give him he would not need them. I wanted him 
walked, and walked fast, very fast. It is the best muscle-making 
exercise that can be given to a horse or colt. Well, there was a 
smart smith down at this place, and he bet he could shoe this colt 
so that he would pace. 

My friend had implicit confidence in my ability to true and 
balance his colts, aud he knew also that all their irregularities of 
gait had disappeared entirely after I had done so, so he bet the 
blacksmith, and how do you suppose he shod this colt so as to 
make him pace? He put some eight-ounce shoes on the hind 
feet and three-ounce shoes on the fore, and he could not make 
him do anything but trot. He then took off the fore shoes, left 
his fore feet bare, and still kept the shoes on the hind feet, and 
yet he would do nothing but trot. 

The smith paid his bet and gave it up, but he said: "That 
man Hall beats anything I ever saw. I never saw a horse before 
I could not make pace by shoeing him that way." He couldn't 
-this one, because the horse's instinct, which guided him to go at 
the easiest gait, demonstrated to him that that gait was the trot. I 
have always claimed, and do still claim, that the pacing gait is 
not the natural one. I will grant that the instinct of action at 
the pacing gait may be, at times, inherited, but it more often 
comes from the articulation being unbalanced. The reason we 
63 



have more pacers now in proportion to what we used to have is 
simply because the race tracks give good purses for them to 
contend for, and therefoi*e breeders and owners do not try to 
make the young things trot when they are at all inclined to pace, 
as they formerly did when they were of less value for racing 
purposes. 

One strong argument in my favor is, to my mind, the almost 
absolute disuse of the hock joint at the pacing gait. What was 
that very important joint put at the propelling end for, if it were 
not to assist the animal in his movements? So I call a pacer an 
unbalanced trotter. 

Now one thing more about the preparation of the foot for the 
shoe, aad I reckon I am about through. Don't remove the sole 
from the foot any more than just the width of the shoe, so that 
the shoe will not rest on it. For winter shoeing, leaving the sole 
untouched, prevents to a large extent " balling," and in summer 
it offers a protection against picking up stones and a strong re- 
sistance to nail penetration. Always use narrow-webbed shoes, 
not over five-eighths of an inch wide. 

If the feet are trued and balanced, make the shoes of even 
thickness all around from heel to heel, for all four shoes for each 
horse. With a perfectly-levelled and balanced hind foot, why 
put calkins on the heels of the shoes. Don't they throw the feet 
out of balance? Then, as the front of the shoe wears away 
faster than the hind part of it, is not the lay of the foot getting 
more and more off the level all the time? 

For myself, I always put the shoes on all feet, drawn a shade, 
only a shade, from last nail hole back to point of heel, just to 
assist in equalizing the wear as much as possible. The last nails 
in the shoes on either side should never be put further back 
than on a line with the wing of the pedal bone under any circum- 
stances, except as already explained for the foot that is too wide. 
So it would seem that one of the surest, safest and therefore 
best ways of balancing the trotter and pacer would be to true and 
balance his feet, round off the edges of the walls so that the feet 
will not break in coming in contact with the ground, and drive 
him a few days barefooted. 

If he is balanced, that is, even and true-gaited bare footed 
then shoe him as directed. For it must be borne in mind that 
the only practical way to " balance the trotter " is to true and 
balance his feet and make them be in proper proportion and in 
proper angle to the limbs they support. In no other way can the 
gait be made even and true and in perfect rhythm, except at risk 
of injury ,to the joints, muscles, tendons, as a natural result of 
artificial appliances to the feet and limbs, in order to force the 
animal to an action that the position of his joints does not fit him 
to take." 

More insight on this subject will be obtained by following 
the directions for preparing and shoeing the foot contained in 
this work. 



64 



Paot Worth Knowing : 
That Liverymen Using a 

Kasper Self-acting 
Oats Cleaner 

in their stables have 

GOOD SOUND HORSES 

and save money in their 
feed bill. 




Send for a Cleaner on 30 
days' trial, and if not satis = 
factory return it at my ex= 
pense. 



MEDALS DIPLOMA 



AWARDED BY 

World's Columbian 
Exposition. 



Any imitation or 

infringement 

of this device 

will be promptly 
prosecuted .... 

Over 14,000 in use. 



Send for Descriptive Circular to 

Thomas Whitfield, 



SOLE OWNER 

AND MANUFACTURER 

369 Wabash Ave., 



CHICAGO. 



(Mention this Book.) 
65 



Directions in Case of Special Enquiries 
for Shoeing (this and opposite page). 




Take a Set compass (blunt one point of compass, to 
use at top of foot, at 1, 3, 5 and 7), and measure each 
of the four (4) feet from 1 to 2. Then measure in same 
manner from 3 to 4, 5 to 6, 7 to 8 and 7 to 9, both inside 
and outside, separately, of each of the four (4) feet. 
Send me these measurements in inches, and fractions 
of an inch, to a sixteenth of an inch. The surest 
and most accurate way to take the last four meas- 
urements (3 to 4, 5 to 6, 7 to 8 and 7 to 9) is to com- 
mence with the nigh (left) fore foot, first measure it 
on the outside— carefully— at the four points desig- 
nated. Then take the nigh hind foot, the same 
way, then the off hind foot, then the off fore foot. 
Then, commencing again at the nigh fore foot, go 
from foot to foot as directed and measure the inside 
of each 'of the four feet. Be careful to put down 
plainly on a piece of paper, each measurement separ- 
ately and distinctly as fast as taken. Don't take a 
second measurement until first has been put down. 
Place the blunt point of the compass at exactly the 
point where wall of foot and flesh join, (at 1,3,5 and 7) 
and the sharp point at wall at surface. 



Directions in Case of Special Enquiries 
for Shoeing (this and opposite page). 

Toeing In. 




CORRECT POSITION. 

Toeing straight to the front, both 
before and behind. 




Place horse— barefooted— on a piece of paper on a 
level floor, standing him as natural as possible. Draw 
a line through the center of paper, as shown here. 
Place point of inside heel of each of the four (4) feet 
on this line. Then sketch around the surface of the 
foot on the paper with lead pencil, and send sketches 
to author's address. Keep pencil perpendicular. 

Send height— in hands— of each animal, also age, 
being careful to place age and height against the name 
of the animal to which they properly belong. 

67 



THE MOST SUCCESSFUL HORSE REMEDY CO. IN EXISTENCE. 

THE SAQOLA 

Horse Remedy Company 

This Company want one agent in each town. Write for terms- 
and territory at once. 

These Remedies are Guaranteed. 



Dr. Taylor's Spavin Cure 
Sagola Horse Foot Oil 
Sagola Worm Expeller 

Dr. Taylor's Magic Liniment 
Sagola Colic Cure 
Sagola Anti-Fever Remedy 
Sagola Louse Killer 

Sagola Harness Oil Soap 

Sagola Condition Powders 
Sagola Horse Salve 



Sold by X>rug-g-ists. Send for Testimonials. 



Guarantee from one to two hundred 
dollars per month to good agents. Enclose 
two cent stamp for terms, circulars, samples, etc. 
Write at once or some one else will secure the 
agency of your vicinity. This Company refers 
to any firrii doing business in Racine, Wiscon- 
sin, or any Bank. 

Sagola Horse Bemeau cihpii 

RACINE, WIS., U.S. A. 

(Mention this Book.) m 



